Thanks to Darth Real Life, it’s been a while since our last episode. Hyperspace Theories returns with a conversation about the exciting new developments in Star Wars television.

First, though, we briefly discuss some of the other recent Star Wars news. Episode IX has begun filming, and several new cast members were announced. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy’s contract has been extended through 2021, though Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed a slowdown in the pace of Star Wars movie production following Episode IX. There may be fewer films in the works for the moment, but Star Wars television is surging ahead.

Our meta segment considers the announcement of The Mandalorian, a live-action series for the upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service from Disney. The show’s creator, executive producer, and writer is Jon Favreau, whose extensive body of work includes Iron Man and Iron Man 2 for Marvel, the live-action Jungle Book and The Lion King for Disney, his own project Chef, and directing episodes of Revolution and The Orville for television. He also has a history with Star Wars, voicing Mandalorian Death Watch leader Pre Viszla on The Clone Wars. Another figure from that series, Dave Filoni, has a prominent part in The Mandalorian: he is an executive producer and will direct its first episode. We speculate about the influences Favreau and Filoni will bring to the live-action show, and how its release on the streaming service might affect the tone and content of its episodes. We also share our thoughts on the other episodic directors announced for the project: Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok).

Like Lucasfilm, our storytelling segment revisits The Clone Wars after the news from the summer that twelve more episodes are in production. We speculate about which remaining untold story arcs might appears in these new episodes, based on information previously revealed at Star Wars Celebration panels and some arcs already produced in other formats, such as Dark Disciple and Son of Dathomir. Based on the trailer, the long-awaited “Siege of Mandalore” story appears to be included, which will create connections with existing arcs of The Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith, the Ahsoka novel, and Star Wars Rebels. We also share in the fandom’s excitement to see more stories from The Clone Wars and the return of the fan-favorite voice cast.

For our world-building segment we analyze the premiere episodes of Star Wars Resistance, the new animated series airing on the Disney Channel. We start with the galaxy-level world-building in the series, including the New Republic, the Resistance, and the First Order at a point in time six months before The Force Awakens. We then turn to the Colossus, the fuel depot and its residents that serve as the location for the first season, and discuss how the characters and their story arcs are constructed with that environment in mind. (Note: if you have not yet seen the show, this part of our discussion includes major spoilers for the opening episode, “The Recruit,” and some references to the following episodes, “The Triple Dark” and “Fuel for the Fire,” which are available for early viewing through DisneyNOW, Hulu, and other providers.)